1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece and a control method of an electronic timepiece for receiving satellite signals and measuring time.
2. Related Art
Electronic timepieces that receive and acquire time information from satellite signals transmitted from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, update the internal time based on the acquired time information, and have a chronograph function for measuring time are known from the literature. See, for example, JP-A-2010-96523.
The GPS wristwatch described in JP-A-2010-96523 start receiving satellite signals in a timekeeping means or navigation (positioning) mode in response to a manual operation or automatically at a specific time. In addition to displaying the time with an hour hand, minute hand, and second hand, this GPS wristwatch also has a stopwatch function (chronograph function) for measuring and displaying elapsed time with a center hand. In addition to displaying elapsed time, this center hand is also used to indicate that a satellite signal is being received when receiving satellite signals.
JP-A-2010-96523 is silent, however, about the GPS wristwatch using the reception function to receive satellite signals and using the chronograph function at the same time. Simultaneously executing the reception process and running the chronograph is difficult in a wristwatch because of the small size of the battery. However, recent improvements in power conservation and battery technologies potentially enable using the reception function and the chronograph function simultaneously. As a result, an electronic timepiece that can appropriately control operation of a hand that is used for both functions and improve ease of use when the reception process and the chronograph function are used simultaneously is needed.